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No Timetable For Avery Bradley's Return

BOSTON (CBS) -- Avery Bradley was a late scratch for the Celtics on Wednesday night, and it sounds like the guard is in for a prolonged absence.

Bradley has missed four of the last five games with an Achilles strain. He returned to the lineup and played 33 minutes in Monday night's win over the Charlotte Hornets, but the soreness returned prior to Wednesday's game and he was forced to sit out.

Boston sorely missed his defense in a 117-108 loss to New York on Wednesday, with Knicks guard Derrick Rose went off for 30 points on 13-for-24 shooting.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said there is no structural damage with Bradley, but the player remains sore and will likely be out for the foreseeable future.

"I can see him missing a little bit more time," said Stevens. "I just think that maybe he came back a little bit too early."

C's president of basketball ops. Danny Ainge said there is no timetable for Bradley's return when he joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich on Thursday morning.

"I don't have a time frame. We're going to be very cautious with Avery. He has a warrior mentality and wants to play, and will play through things," said Ainge. "When the Achilles is involved, it's a lot different than a sprained ankle or thigh bruise. We'll be careful with Avery; he's so valuable to our team."

Boston has gone 3-2 without Bradley in the lineup over the last two weeks. While he's best known for his strong defense, Bradley is averaging career-highs with 17.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for Boston this season.

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